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Putting Pen to Paper

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One of the wellsprings of inspiration you’ll find here at Plant Your Story is a project in storytelling called Papyrus.  It’s all about Putting Pen to Paper and I hope you’ll find it both inspiring and encouraging in your own scrapbooking and storytelling.

You can find Papyrus products in my store as well as inspiration in the Anthology; each release includes a set of page design templates accompanied by a a series of story driven journaling prompts and a spot of content in printable .pdf format.  These printable .pdf pages will contain a sprinkling of story starters, a dash of encouragement with a side of creative inspiration designed to meet you right where you are, as you are, whether you love to write or not with the hope of nudging you to put pen to paper.

My personal philosophy for scrapbooking, storytelling, memory keeping, documenting, capturing, goodness…even *living* can essentially be boiled down to these 6 words:

everyone has a story worth telling.

The longer, spill my heart version of that can be found here: Planting Roots in the Story wherein I share in true Wordy McGee style my heart for documenting our stories.  And that big fat ooey gooey heart is that storytelling and scrapbooking, for me,  is about documenting and recording, it’s about remembering.  It’s about saying “I was here”, it’s about taking stock in life, it’s about celebrating the every day, it’s about finding your voice and getting to know yourself better, it’s about writing love letters to those we care about, it’s about keeping a family history, writing biographies and an autobiography, and it’s about building a legacy. It’s about things that matter. Not to the world. Not to Tom, Dick or Harry or Lady Gaga. Not to anyone else but those who matter to me, to YOU. The ones we love, the ones we hope to teach and to learn from, the ones we share ourselves and our lives with. We are recording our stories. And in the process, we are *writing* our own.

And that’s what Papyrus and Putting Pen to Paper is all about.

The process of “putting pen to paper” comes easily for some..the words just flow like water. There is a comfort there. Others are less comfortable in their journaling skin. But the “how” is the same for everybody and it’s really simple. As with anything else in life, the growth and the fulfillment lives in: practice. So our motto is: “just press record”, “just start”. Today is the best time. And the comfort and the ease lives in: being authentic. Just be YOU. Doubts and hesitations live in comparisons. It doesn’t matter how much or how “well” anyone else journals their story. This is YOUR story. You are the author. And you’re the *only one* who can tell it.

So please do.

a {creative call}

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As I’m venturing deeper in to this New Year and all the evaluating and envisioning and planning and fresh starting that comes along with fresh years I have been considering the evolution of my creativity and my designing and my hopes and visions for Plant Your Story and Zinnias & Swallowtails, I have a special spot of news!  I am having a quick call this weekend during the birthday festivities at The Lilypad!

I am looking for some individuals who love to scrap their stories, who enjoy journaling, playing with paper, making pretty things, documenting the everyday, or sharing their creativity.  And so….{a call}.

 

Do you love to scrap? Do you love to tell your stories? Do you love to put pen to page?

I’m looking to add a few permanent members and a series of guests to my layout AND storytelling teams.  You may apply to either OR both.

To apply to my layout team please put “Layout Team Creative Call” in the subject line of your email.

To apply to the Storytelling team please put “Storyteller Creative Call” in the subject line of your email.

If applying to BOTH teams put “Storyteller Creative Call” in the subject line of your email.

Requirements are the same for both teams:

— Scrap at least 2 pages (or prompts) monthly in advance of release
— upload your pages to your favorite galleries and/or social media

If you are inspired to plant your story please submit:

— An example of any page created with my designs.  (You may use any freebie, collab contribution or regular release to showcase your scrapbooking and/or storytelling in action).   If you are applying to be a Storyteller, please also include links to 3 of your favorite “storyFULL” pages.

— A link to your favorite gallery
— A list of your current creative team commitments
— A short bio

If this sounds like something you’re interested in please feel free to submit inquiries to creativecallplantyourstory.com by midnight EST 23 January 2012. I will respond to every email I get to confirm receipt.

Can’t wait to hear from you!! ♥

Here’s a few more details:

Q: What do I mean by “storyFULL” pages?

A:  To me, a “storyFULL” page is a page that usually has some semblance of journaling included..it doesn’t have to be gobs of journaling or heartwrenching, cathartic, serious documenting.  Story lives in the silly and in the routine as well as the “deeper” places in our lives and feelings.  So any page where you are documenting your own story, or acting as your family’s historian, or putting pen to paper, or listing or musing..that’s a storyFULL page.  Show me your favorites.

Q: What is the difference between the Layout Team and Storytelling Team?

A:  My layout team receives all releases but is not required to work the prompts in my prompt-driven products.  The focus of the layout team is to play with my products and bring their own style to the page.  I LOVE having a variety of scrapping styles represented on my team and I LOVE it when people play with my page designs in creative ways.

My Storytelling team is everything the Layout team is but it’s primary focus is on actually working prompts in my prompt-driven product releases.  I want to encourage others to put pen to page or scrap prompts with examples beyond my own.  You can see examples of previous prompts I’ve written in the Grow With Love archive.  The Plant Your Story storytellers will have the opportunity to delve into prompts that are heavier and some that are light and fun..it’s a wide range of topics and encouragements, some of which can be challenging.  You don’t have to be a writer.  You don’t have to feel “good” at journaling, but you need a heart for telling your story and a desire to grow in your storytelling.

Please feel free to email me if you have any questions at all!

Document Your December

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So, I was just waxing poetically about my aspirations for documenting my own December this year and it’s that hope for embracing the moment, the details, the imperfections and the storyMaking that inspired the creation of this week’s fresh release: Pear Tree {the album}.  It is a project that has been in the works for many days and weeks now and that the ever-so-considerate Sick derailed from my hoped-for timeline.  But it’s here.  And I’m really excited about it.  And I hope that you’ll find it’s FULLness and it’s classic and versatile pieces a wonderful stand alone project or supplement to any December storytelling project you are embarking upon this year.

It was created with a heart for giving you options, for creating the kind of pages and/or album that fits the story you will create and document this year.  It is a project full of possibilities and one that lets you embrace your own creative directions while getting to the heart of what matters most to you this time of year: the details.  I really believe that magic lives in the details.

It’s BIG and it’s versatile. It’s full of pages of various sizes, from simple to more layer-y. All with the hope of helping you easily document your December.

Meet Pear Tree {the album}:


This layered template album can be used in whole or in part, for digital or hybrid scrapping of your December stories. Includes templates in varied styles and sizes so you can pick your favorite size or mix and match to create a mixed media kind of album.

Every template design is unique while still carrying a cohesive look for an overall album and classic enough to be able to mesh well with any other projects. They are meant to be built upon with your own style and customization and can be used with any products. You can also re-use any of the design pages throughout the album, flipping and modifying to make them your own and to suit your scrapping or album needs and style.

You can mix and match the sizes with each other, you can mix and match the background paper pieces, the photo spot design layers, the overlays or trims here and there to make this album completely your own. Or you can use it in a straight-forward way too. Have fun playing with all the components to create what suits your story best!

The album contents include:

* 25 12×12 layered templates (in .psd + .tiff formats). These can be used as is or easily sized down to suit whatever album size you may be after (I’m going 8×8!)

* 15 6×8 layered templates (in .psd + .tiff formats). These can be used alone or as a supplement to the larger pages or any other pages you may be creating this holiday season.

* 10 5×7 layered templates (in .psd + .tiff formats). These too can be used alone as a mini album or as a supplement to the larger page sizes or any other pages you may be creating this holiday season.

Pear Tree also includes some additional album designing goodies:

* 10 BIG word transparency overlays (made to fit 6×8 pages or photos but can be resized to suit your needs) sentiments include: Bright, Family, Favorite, Happy, Holiday, Joy, Laugh, Love, Merry, Tradition, Tree, Wish

* 10 transparency overlays in various sizes (5×7, 6×8, 12×12) which can be used to overlay papers or photos or printed on transparencies. Patterns are classic and versatile.

* BIG number transparency overlays for the entire month (December 1 – 31)

* 12 simple frames for photos or paper/journaling spaces in various sizes (2×2 instagram size, 3×3, 5×7, 6×8, and 12×12)

* 12 word stamps for stamping photos or papers. Sentiments include: Advent, Anticipation, Deck the Halls, Fa la la, Giving, Laughter, Magic, Memories, Merry, Noel, Tradition, Twinkle

* 17 clippable trims for clipping papers or photos (in .png format and sized BIG for easy resizing)

All the transparency overlays can be used to create actual printed transparencies for hybrid or traditional paper scrapping projects or they can be used digitally in a variety of ways.

The pages and the extras are created with a heart for Documenting YOUR December. And I so hope you have fun with them!

In total, when all is said and done this is a collection of 50 templates and oodles of extra details and tools.  I can’t wait to use it myself and share the process with you!

I hope you find Pear Tree a lot of fun to work with and make your own!  And something that will help you document your stories with a boost of ease and time!

Pear Tree {the album} is available for $10 (and only $8 through Sunday 4 December!) at The Lilypad

In other news, and something that is equally special to me…this week marks the release of the final installment of the Grow With Love: Letters project.

This is Grow With Love: Letters Edition {December}:

The {December} installment is inspired by the holiday season and by the close of another year. We explore sentimental, silly and more traditional takes on documenting our stories of “reflection”, tradition, and holiday in encouraging journaling prompts.

And here’s a spot of GWL inspiration {so gorgeous}:

Pear Tree {the album} and Grow With Love: Letters Edition {December} are available in my shoppe at The Lilypad through Monday 5 September for 20% off through Sunday 4 December!

As always I looove to see your stories and art too, so please feel free to share with me anytime.  Really!  Just shoot me a mail or share them on my facebook page.  And if you haven’t signed up the newsletter yet you may want to do that so you can be the first to hear the latest news and get the latest exclusive savings.
Happy December!  Happy Scrapping!!!

Honor :: Documenting Veteran’s Day

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“As we express our gratitude, we must never forget that the highest appreciation is not to utter words, but to live by them.” -John Fitzgerald Kennedy

Veteran’s Day is a day that holds a special place in my heart.  Not only because I am wife to a man who has chosen to dedicate his life to the service of his country in a way that few ever do.  Not only because I am the grand-daughter of a man who, together with his entire generation, sacrificed and served for something greater than himself.  But also because I know that I am blessed to live freely and live safely and live with choice and opportunity because of the men and women in uniform who have lived and died so that I could.

That is a kind of service that could never be adequately honored.  It is the kind of service for which I give gratitude with my whole heart.  It is the kind of service I hope to never take for granted.

And so with a humble heart full of thanks to all those who have served and who serve today, I say “thank you”.

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And in honor of this day, I’d like to offer a fresh free download.  🙂  It was inspired by the service of those in uniform.  And created with a heart full of gratitude and hope to honor our veterans here in the U.S. but can certainly be used for any page or project.   And I got a little help from my kindred spirit and the fabulously talented Amy too!  She contributed some of her amazing mishmashed sentiments!

I so hope you enjoy!  Feel free to click the images or {this link} to download (everything shown is shown in separate previews, but available in a single download).

Feel free to click the images or {this link} to download (everything shown is shown in separate previews, but available in a single download).

Happy Scrapping! ♥

eleven.eleven.eleven

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Tomorrow is 11.11.11 — isn’t that neat?  It is somehow a little bit romantic, a little bit exciting, a little bit inspiring and a little bit fun all at once.   It’s the rarity of it I think.  And the neat symmetry of it all, makes this day seem like it could be something a little extra special.  It’s full of potential…the potential to be a little bit more deliberate and intentional with how you spend and document your day.

And it seems to be the perfect kind of day for documenting in lists!  You can scrap or photograph:

  • 11 things that make you laugh
  • 11 things that you are grateful for
  • 11 favorite foods
  • 11 favorite quotes (from famous persons, from music, from within your family)
  • 11 favorite movies, songs, books
  • 11 pet peeves
  • 11 special people in your life
  • 11 dreams you’ve had in your life (dreams of what you want to be when you grow up, dreams of where to travel)
  • 11 reasons to smile

The possibilities for documenting Eleven Things this day are endless.  Settle upon a set of 11 and have fun getting listy!

Or you could focus on action and :

  • Be sure to capture the moment your clock reads 11:11 am or 11:11 pm
  • Engage in 11 Random Acts of Kindness (much like Robyn did 38 on her 38th birthday)
  • Send 11 thank yous to friends and loved ones or 11 little notes of encouragement, affirmation, hello or fun
  • Dance to 11 of your favorite songs in your living room with your daughter.  Or husband.  Or yourself.
  • Challenge yourself to spend exactly $11 somewhere (the craft store? The grocery?)
  • Leave 11 little notes for your spouse to find in the future
  • Take photos of 11 details of your day, your surroundings, your actions of the day (maybe use Instagram to help you document)
  • Join in on the One Day on Earth project where people set out to document this day and capture the world’s story

And then of course there is lots of fun to be had creating art or decor or menus that reflect the number eleven.

Channel your best Count from Sesame Street and really embrace the day.  Set out to make it something special, something different.  Set out to *make* memories and document them.  Set out to have fun!

Happy Happy Joy Joy

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I had delayed posting this until now because unfortunately the store at The Lilypad was positively overloaded, despite the best efforts of the girls to prepare for the uptick in site traffic in advance of this weekend. What a blessing though, to be SO busy that the site couldn’t handle it for a little bit there. We all thank you so much for all your support and especially your patience. I know this is a busy day for everyone and we are so sorry for the delay and troubles and even more grateful for your hanging in there with us today!   It looks like the site is now up and functioning (ever so slowly with peak usage). Yay!
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Happy Digital Scrapbooking day!!

It’s that time of year again…that special time dedicated to celebrating this craft and art we love so much and we honor our penchant for telling our stories and playing with programs by shopping and scrapping and chatting and browsing and soaking up all the fun to be had in the digital community. It’s a day full of busy and creativity and I love it so much because in the end, after all the hubbub, it’s all about Getting Excited To Tell Our Stories.

So here’s what I have going on this weekend.

The Lilypad is positively hopping with games, challenges, forum fun, and sales and sales and TONS of new releases and more sales.

And it all starts with the release of the November BYOC, which is full and gorgeous.

Meet, Milkweed:

The Milkweed templates are designed with a heart for capturing the details of your story, a series of photos and the warmth that lives in the every day moments.   Inspired by autumn sun and color and the layers of fallen leaves with varied design styles ranging from a “fuller” page, richer in layers with many little details and a little more depth to cleaner and more linear designs.  And they give you the chance to scrap some photo centric stories that feature a series of photos or play with paper in fresh ways!

Also new for the November BYOC is the Thankful Collection:

The Thankful collection is a warm, happy, and positive collection of  clipping mask templates, word art, text paths and stamps/brushes designed in the spirit of simple happinesses, and autumn.

Here’s a closer look at the components of this wonderful collection of details to add to your pages:

Here is some beautiful inspiration from the girls:

As if the BYOC goodies weren’t enough in the way of gorgeous goodies…The Pad is overflowing with amazing fun and tons (over 60!!) new releases for Digital Scrapbooking Day!

I have several new releases myself including a couple collaboration projects with Crystal Livesay!  We have teamed up for a fun and fabulous Grab Bag of 8 page design templates.  And since Grab Bags are all about the deep savings, you can snag this collection of templates for only $3 through DSD weekend and Monday.

Here’s a peek at the iDSD Grab Bag‘s innards:

And also new this weekend is the November installment of our Grow With Love: Letters collection:

And here’s some inspiration with the Grab Bag designs and November letters designs:

The best part of all this yummyness is that they are all available through the weekend and Monday for 30% off (except the new BYOC which is available for 20% off OR 30% off if you are a newsletter subscriber and use the coupon for exclusive savings found there).  In fact, my entire store is available for 30% off through Monday 7 November.   Woot!

Not to mention this seriously gorgeous Free With Purchase kit from The Lilypad designers, which is free with any purchase of $15 or more in the store:

And for a little something extra here’s a fun chance to win a gift that keeps on giving (like the jelly of the month club, lol!).  Every order of more than $10 this weekend will be entered to win a membership in the Seeds of the Month club — which entitles the winner to a $10 GC to my shop for every.single.month in 2012! 🙂

Not only that, there is a fun and fabulous free download available on the Plant Your Story facebook page.  If you’ve never scrapped with a template or never used a journaling prompt to get your creative thought process going and to encourage you to plant your story on your art and pages, here is the perfect opportunity to get a taste of both…for FREE.  You can snag this Grow With Love sampler — a set of templates which are accompanied by two thoughtful journal prompts — on the PYS facebook page. Just check the left sidebar and click the Happy DSD tab. ♥

Annnnd. This warm set of autumny sweet tags is still available as an exclusive download on the Zinnias and Swallowtails facebook page.  Simply click on the “exclusive” tab to snag it if you haven’t already. (It will be removed on Tuesday).

So hope you all have a beautiful weekend!   And please, feel free to share any of your art and stories with me via email or on my facebook page.  I LOVE to see your work!!

Happy scrapping!!

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